The Greeting of the Harvest

Greetings! Today is the midpoint between Summer Solstice and Fall Equinox, at the cross of the quarters. I call this day The Greeting of the Harvest, marking the first day of Autumn. This is a day of gratitude, a day of thankfulness for all that sustains us. Here in Oregon, we are drowning in abundance. The cherry harvest was long and large this year, and our bellies and freezers are full. The huckleberries are early, the blueberries still going strong. Our tomato plants bend down to the ground laden with fruit, and yellow flowers signal that the season is not over. We are in the midst of harvest.
This cross-quarter day hearkens the beginning of the abundance, the time when all the planning and work comes to fruition, the time when Earth gives Her gifts freely, lavishly, bountifully. This is a moment for laughter and joy, for feeling the embrace of family and friends, relationships that represent years of sowing, reaping, sharing. It is a moment for intense gratitude, to that which nurtures and sustains us, that which gives so willingly, so generously, so bountifully.
Amidst the intoxication of the abundance, I note that the light begins to fade a little earlier each day, and the breath of Autumn is tangible. This season straddles the light and dark parts of the year, beginning with the intense heat and abundance of August and ending with the stark chill of early November. Autumn celebrates the cycle of dying away and honors the gift of the harvest.
Spend a bit of time tonight enjoying the abundance – the abundance of vegetables and fruit, of friends, of relationships, of your own creations. Have a feast! And as you sip your favorite libation, recognize the abundance in your life, for all that you are thankful. Recognize the sources of sustenance and the cycle of harvest. Give a toast, and offer your thanks. For, indeed, we are blessed.


N.B.: This cross-quarter festival is commonly called Lammas (from the Anglo-Saxon for “loaf mass”) or Lughnasadh (from the Irish god Lugh), traditionally celebrated August 1st. Astrologically, the First Day of Fall may be calculated as the date the Sun is at 15° Leo, which currently Falls around August 6th and 7th.